


This One's On Me

by Kiki_G_Marie



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Friendship, Developing Relationship, F/M, Gen, Kindred Spirits, Semi-Platonic Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-06-02 13:16:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6567850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiki_G_Marie/pseuds/Kiki_G_Marie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Generally, Shane's abrasive demeanor (read: blatant assholery) works wonders for driving away nosy, annoying strangers. And, uh, people in general, actually. Except when one night, it doesn't. Who is this big blueberry pie of a woman, anyway...?<br/>(Shane's adventures in dealing with Kihaji Granger: gentle giant, gifted chef, possible witch, and persistent goody-two-shoes-pain-in-the-ass. Among other, less flattering hyphenates.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Make It A Thing

Shane sat in his usual spot by the fire in the saloon, beer in hand. It was raining out, the kind of evening that made him thirstier and even more morose than usual. He picked at a loose thread on his hoodie and stared blankly out the window pane.

_Another shitty day at a shitty job for a shitty paycheck…_

He took another swallow of beer and continued to stare listlessly out the window. The usual crowd was gathered in the saloon tonight. Mayor Lewis and Marnie chatting it up at a far table, Willy and Clint drinking silently at a nearer one. Emily wiping down the counters, Gus cleaning glasses by the register, Pam slamming back beer after beer on the other end of the bar, and Leah at a table on her own. Shane let out an inaudible sigh. Every day was the same. Same horrible job. Same carefree people. Same emptiness in his gut that makes him wonder how he keeps going, WHY he keeps going. He was sick to death of it all.

But he’d accepted that reality long ago. He was a shitty little man living a shitty little life, and this waking nightmare wasn’t ever going to end.

And it was with that cheerful thought that he saw a large, unfamiliar shadow pass by the window he’d been absently staring at. Shane started.

_What the fresh hell…?_

The door opened gently, then closed just as softly as the person who’d stepped through turned to make sure it didn’t slam. Their hair was a sodden mess of dark, blue-purple curls down their back, dripping slightly onto the welcome mat. They towered over most of the townsfolk, with a strong, stocky frame to fill the height. Shane stared quizzically, forgetting himself for a moment. Who the fuck was this?

“Gus! I’m so sorry, but would it be possible to use your bathroom? I don’t want to get water on your floors.” the person called out softly, turning to their right and gathering up their long hair in their arms. Their face was still mostly obscured by the sodden clumps of hair that still hung down over it, dripping onto their lavender shirt and the midnight blue kerchief knotted at their neck.

“Yoba, girlie, did the rain take you by surprise?” Gus hooted, amused. “You look like you just took a dip in the ocean!”

“Aw, K, Gus is right, you look half-drowned! I’ll show you to the bathrooms. You can towel off that mane of yours!” Emily rushed from behind the counter and grabbed the stranger by the elbow, steering her haphazardly through the saloon to the back.

_… Okay, so not a total stranger…_ Shane thought, scowling. But who was she? Why did people seem to know her? Shane decided that his curiosity warranted a break from his usual silence, and rapped on the counter when Emily came back.

“What’s up, Shane? ‘Nother beer?”

“Nah, not right now. I was wondering who the hell the stranger is? She a tourist or something?” Emily snorted.

“You’ve been pretty out of it lately, huh, Shane? That’s the new farmer. Just moved in not a week ago, took up residence in the old farmhouse on Milk & Honey? Ringing any bells?”

“She lives out in that dump? No wonder she’s out wandering this storm like a damned idiot instead of staying dry inside. Probably not much difference.” Shane muttered wryly, drinking more of his beer. Emily clicked her tongue, but knew a Shane-brand dismissal when she heard it and went about her business.

When the farmer returned to the main part of the saloon, her hair was no longer dripping and was at least pushed out her face, revealing honey brown, freckled skin and dark blue eyes. Shane watched with a sort of buzzed half-interest as she worked her way through everyone in the saloon. Stopping to speak briefly with Pam and touch her shoulder gently as she passed, greeting an overenthusiastic Leah with a quiet laugh, awkwardly sidling by Marnie and the Mayor with a murmured hello, thanking and apologizing to Gus, waving sheepishly at Emily, and even taking the time to lean in at Clint and Willy's table for a moment. It was when her eyes locked with Shane’s that he realized two things. First, that he’d been fucking staring at her for the past ten or so minutes, what the hell. And second, that her movements all along had been slowly and methodically working their way over to his corner of the bar. And now she was coming straight toward him, albeit tentatively.

What the hell could she possibly want?

“H-Hi, I don’t think we’ve met.” The farmer said hesitantly, holding out a hand in an almost timid way. Like he was some kind of barn animal she needed to approach carefully lest she get kicked in the mouth. “I-I-I’m new in Pelican Town. My grandfather left his old farm, Milk & Honey, to me, so… uhm…”

Shane frowned at her hand, then at her face. She looked nervous, but honest. Open and very young, despite clearly having over half a foot on him.  Shane watched her face falling slightly, saw a tremor in her hand, and was suddenly full-on pissed. What was this strange fucking KID, with wild curls and wide, clear eyes, doing in this damned town and looking at him, speaking to him, like she wanted to make nice? With some loser, some jerk, some worthless idiot with no future? Where did she get off ridiculing him like that?

_What a joke._

“I don’t know you. Why are you talking to me?” Shane snarled, glaring at her. The farmer’s mouth immediately clamped shut, her hand withdrawing into a loose fist at her side, her shoulders hunching in on themselves slightly. Somehow, she looked so small, like she took up no space at all. Shane blinked in surprise at the change, before letting some of the anger return to his face as he moodily turned back to stare into his beer. “Just... leave me alone, kid.”

After a few seconds, when she still hadn’t moved, Shane turned to snap at her again. But meeting her eyes caused the words to freeze up behind his lips. There was something there that was familiar. Not pity, or even hurt, but something drained and a little broken. Something like resignation, and underneath that, deep understanding. 

It was giving Shane the creeps.

"What?” he snapped, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

The girl's head tilted to the side, contemplative, eyes searching. Shane felt disconcertingly like he was under a microscope, and he didn't like it one bit. If she didn't say something in the next two seconds, he might actually scream.

“I’m Kihaji.” she said finally, making no attempt to hold out her hand this time, merely nodding to him in deference. Shane blinked.

“… Shane." He wasn't sure why he felt the need to respond to that. He chose not to dwell on it. " _Now_ will you leave me the hell alone?”

Kihaji nodded slowly, smiling and taking a few steps back before walking away. Shane watched out of the corner of his eye as she bashfully joined Leah at her table after the latter’s loud, tipsy coaxing. He was confused, but still too pissed off to pursue any answers. He was also vaguely aware of Emily snapping a towel at his arm with a quiet reprimand, but shrugged it off and kept working on his beer.

An hour or so later, the farmer was heading back out, saying her goodbyes to the room. Shane made a point to be studying the bottom of his empty beer glass when that happened. When she had gone, Emily slid a fresh beer over the counter to him, shocking him out of his sour mood.

“I didn’t order another one yet, Emily.” He said, waving it off. The blue-haired woman sniffed and rolled her eyes.

“I _know_ that. This wasn’t ordered by you. Enjoy.” She said, with no further explanation as Gus called her over to bus some tables. Shane stared blearily at the full mug of beer and bit his lip pensively. Who could have…?

His eyes narrowed once again, and he abruptly shoved the beer away. The mug sloshed enticingly, a fat splash of amber and foam hitting the counter-top.

Shane was livid.

_That annoying little…_

He wasn’t going to apologize, he decided. He wasn’t going to apologize, and he wasn’t going to owe the kid a Yoba-damned thing for being bought a beer on the sly.

But he _was_ going to drink it. Just this once. It’d be a waste otherwise.

* * *

 

The next morning, on his way to work, Shane happened to cross paths with the farmer before most of Pelican Town had woken up. She had a fishing pole slung over her shoulder, and seemed… glad…? to see him as they met on the eastern edge of the town square. 

“Morning. Working early?” She smiled gently at him. Shane's annoyance level instantly skyrocketed.

“I don’t have time to chat with you, farmer.” Shane barked. She just nodded in understanding, eyes crinkled in amusement.

_Infuriating._ That was the word he as looking for.

“I’m _not_ thanking you, by the way. Or apologizing. So." Shane gestured vaguely, in a way that hopefully looked dismissive.

“Hm? What are you talking about?” She asked quietly, still with the damned _smiling_. Shane felt like kicking something.

“You know damn well what I'm...!" He growled accusingly, before cutting himself off. "Look, just don’t make this a _thing_ , alright? I’m not in the market for chump charity.”  Kihaji just laughed softly.

“Sure.” She started walking again, toward the southern bank of the river, as she waved goodbye. “Have a good day, Shane.”

Shane just stood there, hands balled into fists, before unclenching them and forcefully tugging his hat down to shadow his eyes.

What a nuisance.

What, did the kid think she was going to win him over with a free beer and some knowing gazes and mysterious smiles and that weird... _niceness_...?

Like hell she was. He'd sooner kiss Morris's actual ass then fall for that shit.

And he stood by what he said. She’d better not make this a THING.

(Why is he getting the sneaking suspicion that she's going to make this a thing...?)


	2. You're Still a Brat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh great, she can BAKE too.

Shane would hesitate to call Marnie’s place “home”, exactly. It was the place he slept, true, when he had the time to sleep, or played video games alone in his room when he had the time to play video games, or stared into space for a couple hours when he had the time for that. The point being that he had very little time for anything other than work, paying room and board for Jas and himself (against Marnie’s wishes, but he wasn’t about to freeload off of her just because they were family), and making sure Jas was fed and clothed, and most of his actual free time was spent at the bar. Emily had once jokingly told him he might have a problem.

She wasn’t wrong. But there was fuck-all Shane could do to help it.

Regardless of whether Shane felt that Marnie’s was actually home or not, he liked it there. It had a welcoming kitchen and a warm living room, lots of open space and fresh air. There were chickens that followed him around in a line whenever he had the chance to help Marnie out with the ranch work, and cows that snuffled at the insides of his jacket when gave them a pat on the side. Jas had her own room, and all the toys she could fit into it.

It was a stable life. An okay life. One that fit Jas like a glove. But also one that made Shane feel… extraneous. Well, more extraneous than usual. Which was saying something.

It was with that grim thought that Shane walked up the path to Marnie’s front door. By some miracle of fate, he’d been let off work early today, not even halfway through his lunch break. Something about larger-than-average, vaguely apple-shaped rats messing with the wiring. It sounded ridiculous to him, but Morris seemed to take it seriously enough that he’d shooed the employees out after only a couple hours of actual work, though not before reminding them they’d only be paid for half the day. Great.

The important thing was, he supposed, that today was Summer 4. Jas was turning ten.

He was shit at picking out presents, and he had no idea what a little girl would like, so he’d put aside a good bit of his last paycheck and put it in a little lavender envelope for her. He’d set it on her nightstand this morning with a short note. Hopefully he’d done the right thing. If he didn’t, he guessed, he’d probably get an earful from Marnie about it when he walked through the door.

As he leaned forward to turn the knob, Shane heard a peal of laughter from inside and hesitated. He knew that laugh. That was…

_Aw, hell…_

He opened the door to see an unattended front desk, and made his way past it toward the kitchen. There was Marnie, pouring coffee into a mug and chuckling. There was Jas, smiling, chattering faster than he’d seen her do in months, kicking her legs back and forth as she sat in a too-tall kitchen chair. There was a tremendous, frilly, ridiculous, _pink_ cake, sitting in the center of the table, with two fat slices taken out of it already.

And there, sitting at the table across from Jas, was _her_. The blueberry-headed nuisance. The _farmer_.

“Shane! What’re you doing out of work so early?” Marnie smiled and set down the coffee pot. Jas’ eyes lit up and she hopped down from her chair.

“You’re home! You’re actually home!” she exclaimed, barreling into him for a hug. Shane masked a small grunt from the impact and hugged her back. “Thank you for the spending money, Shane! Vincent and I are gonna eat _so much_ ice cream!”

“Happy birthday, Jas.” He said, shell-shocked. When was the last time Jas had ever been this affectionate? Not since her parents were… Shane shook that thought immediately, coming back to the present. “I see you’re all having a mini-party already.”

“Our neighbor Miss Granger remembered it was Jas’ birthday, and came over not a half hour ago with this wonderful cake! Even baked it herself!” Marnie said, gesturing at the frankly preposterous ( _are those CANDY HEARTS…?_ ) cake in the middle of the table.

“Did she now.” Shane said flatly, narrowing his eyes at the farmer. For her part, she had the decency to look bashful.

“Baking’s a hobby of mine. I may have gone a bit overboard on the decorations.” She said sheepishly. “Anyway, good to see you in daylight, Shane.” The farmer gave him that same small smile, the one he’d come to associate with deep, deep annoyance.

Since their first meeting, it was like he couldn’t escape from Kihaji the Farmer. Every day she’d been by the bar to talk to him, and no matter how many times he told her to fuck off she insisted on trying to make nice. And if it wasn’t the bar, it was ass in the morning on his way to work, and if not that, then ass at night on his way home. “Hi, Shane. How are you, Shane? Tough day at work, Shane? How’s Jas, Shane? How’s Charlie, Shane? Have a good night/day, Shane!” It drove him _insane_ , and he had no idea _why_.

But something about the fact that she’d been at Marnie’s too, that even his supposed safe space and his patchwork family had her in it, just made him illogically angry.

(Which was ridiculous, he knew, because Kihaji was a _farmer_ , of _course_ she’d been inside Marnie’s before. It was part of her _job_. But that didn’t make the strange undercurrent of almost-possessive annoyance go away.)

“Mm.” was all he could muster in answer. The farmer had the nerve to look somewhat crestfallen at his response, but before she could say anything else, Jas was tugging at the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Shane, you should try some of Miss Granger’s cake!” she said excitedly. “Aunt Marnie and I already had some!”

“It really is fantastic, Shane. Kihaji’s a wonderful baker.” Marnie agreed, already grabbing a clean plate from a cupboard and reaching for the knife they’d been using to slice the pink monstrosity on the table. Shane recoiled slightly.

“I, uh, really don’t like sweets… much…” Shane tried weakly, sitting down at the table anyway at Jas’ urging. “Look, I don’t think…” The slice of cake was already in front of him before he could protest further, and Jas was looking at him expectantly. He swallowed thickly and looked to Marnie pleadingly, but she had the same hopeful look on her face. Further discouraged, he dared a look in the farmer’s direction, and was surprised to see actual concern and regret. Somehow, this annoyed him even more.

“I’m sorry, Shane, I didn’t know you weren’t a fan of sweets. You don’t have to eat any, I can make something else for you next time!” she said, easy as you please, as though bringing him food was going to become a common occurrence. As though they were _friends_. Shane had to school his expression quickly to mask his annoyance, for Jas and Marnie’s benefit he told himself, _not_ for the farmer’s.

“Don’t. Don’t do that, I’ll just try the damn cake.” He said lowly, so that only Kihaji could hear. She shrugged and conceded, unsuccessfully hiding an excited smile. She really was a kid, getting excited over him trying a fucking cake. Idiot.

Scooping up a forkful with three pairs of eyes intently watching, Shane decided to get this over with as quickly as possible, shoving it into his mouth and expecting a glob of sugar and goo. Instead, to his surprise, the flavor of the cake wasn’t nearly as sweet as its appearance made it seem. It was mild, rich, and buttery, with a hint of melon in the frosting. The candy hearts dissolved like snowflakes on his tongue, leaving little spots of sweetness that weren’t entirely unpleasant. And strangest of all, as he swallowed, a warmth started spreading through his chest. He couldn’t quite place the feeling, only that he’d felt it before, somewhere.

That was when… _something_ … burst. A tingly sensation at the ends of his fingers and toes, heat in his face, and that same trickle of warmth becoming like a waterfall in his chest. It was like some door in his brain had opened and all the good memories he’d ever hidden away had come gushing out of it in torrents and torrents, with no signs of receding. Playing gridball with his big brother in the evenings, visiting Marnie in the summers to help with the rance, a sports scholarship to university, a wedding where he was best man, being named a godfather, Jas as a baby, smile so wide and sweet. It was too much, he couldn’t deal with this, not when things were how they were, not when he’d never feel like this again, not when…!

“Sh-Shane?” he heard Jas’ voice on his left. Felt her hand on his. He turned his head to look at her, saw those big, sparkling eyes wide with worry. “You’re crying. Are you okay?”

In alarm, Shane reached up and felt that tears, were, in fact, falling from his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his sleeve and gave Jas a small smile.

“Everything’s fine. You were right, the cake is really good.” He suddenly scooped her up into a hug, holding her close. “Happy birthday, Jas.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Shane didn’t miss the smile the farmer was hiding behind her hand.

* * *

 

After another half hour of coffee and cake (during which Shane politely declined eating any more for now, setting his plate aside for later), the farmer was ready to leave.

“I have to go make sure the crows aren’t eating away at my sprouts.” She said cheerily, tying back her mountain of blue-purple curls and retrieving a straw hat from the coat rack by the door. “Seems my scarecrows are more of an invitation than a deterrent.”

“Well, you’re welcome back anytime, hon. Thanks so much again for thinking of Jas today. It was really good of you.” Marnie said, squeezing the farmer’s hand. The farmer blushed, pulling her hat down on her head to hide her face.

“I-It was no problem. I’m just glad everyone enjoyed the cake.” She murmured, before ducking out of the door. Shane narrowed his eyes again, too many questions rolling around in his head to just let sit.

“Hey.” He called out sharply, in spite of himself. Kihaji froze two steps from the doorway. “I’ll, uh. Walk you to Milk & Honey.” He finished lamely, glancing at Jas, who was still sitting at the table, having already said her goodbyes.

“Really?” Kihaji squeaked, before clearing her throat. “I-I mean. Sure.”

Marnie raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them. “Well, go on then. See you soon, hon.”

For a while, they walked in silence, until they were past the last fence on Marnie’s ranch, out of earshot. That was when Shane rounded on the farmer.

“What. The HELL. Did you do to that cake?” He snarled, prodding a finger into Kihaji’s collarbone. To hell with the fact that she was almost a foot taller than him, he wanted some Yoba-damned answers.

“I… baked it?” Kihaji smiled weakly, hands raised in a placating gesture. “Not sure what you mean, Shane.”

“You know what I mean, Granger! That… that feeling, the warm thing in my chest! Jas acting all affectionate and cheerful! Did you _drug us_?!” He continued, narrowing his eyes.

“Warmth in your chest…?” Kihaji asked in wonder, eyes wide. “So you actually _did_ feel something. No wonder you started crying…”

“Hey, at least answer me before you start muttering nonsense!” Shane snapped his fingers in front of Kihaji’s face insistently. She shook her head and smiled, but this was a different smile from the ones Shane usually got. It was… a lot more mature than he was used to seeing on her face. Small, knowing, and full of unspoken words. Almost charming. Mysterious, even. It was… unsettling, to say the least.

“I didn’t drug Jas’ birthday cake, Shane. What do you take me for?” she snorted, shaking her head. At that moment, the dam on Shane’s annoyance broke under the pressure.

“ _I don’t know_! That’s what annoys me!” Shane growled, stepping into her space. For once, Kihaji held her ground. “You talk to me every day no matter how much I tell you to fuck off! Everyone around town is always going on and on about how _friendly_ and _helpful_ you are! In the bar you make the rounds and listen to people’s problems like some damned therapist! You go out of your way to give food to the old guy living behind the carpenter’s house every week! Half the time you act like an annoying brat, the other half you act like some sort of saintly girl scout! And what, now you can bake cakes that just _make_ people happy?” Shane buries his hands in his hair, nearly screaming in frustration. “You, you came from the city, just like I did, but all the stink, all the bad from it just rolled right off of you! You left it all behind and became… whatever the hell this is! And you have the nerve to come at me with your big eyes and your smiles and your ‘how are yous’, like you actually give a shit?! I don’t buy any of it, not for a minute!” Shane’s chest was heaving, and his eyes were stinging. He glared at the farmer, daring her to say anything back to that, willing her to insult him like a normal person and just _leave_.

“And would you believe me if I said I actually _do_ give a shit?” she responded quietly. Shane froze, searching her eyes for mockery, or deceit, _something_. But he found none.

“… I should say no. But coming from you, Girl Scout, it’s got to be the truth.” Shane exhaled, suddenly feeling very drained. “I guess the question now is, why would you?”

“Because I know a lot more than I let on.” She responded, gesturing to him that they should continue walking. “If you removed your head from its snug little home in your ass, you might have noticed we’re not so different as you think.”

“Hey, you little…!” Shane growled, elbowing the farmer with zero malice. Kihaji threw her head back and laughed.

“The cake was my grandma’s recipe. I don’t eat it for the same reason you wouldn’t eat anymore after one bite.” She murmured, coiling a lock of her hair around one of her fingers.

Shane remembered, with a start, that Kihaji had only ever drunk coffee, and that only two slices of cake had been cut before he’d sat down at the kitchen table.

“So you feel the…?” he gestured oddly, trying to convey whatever sensation had followed his taste of the cake. Kihaji gave him a sidelong smirk.

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Kihaji said, pulling her hat down over face. “Oh, would you look at that! The gate to Milk & Honey!”

“Oh, come on, you can’t just clam up after…!” Shane reached out after her, but she just grinned, taking a wide step out of his reach.

“Enjoy your day off with your family, Shane.” She answered, before turning around to walk through the wooded area of her land. “I’m sure that rat problem at Joja will be cleared up by tomorrow.”

“Y-Yeah…” Shane responded lamely, at a loss. Then another realization dawned on him. “Hey, wait! I never told you about the…!”

“Good afternoon~!” Kihaji called, before slipping out of sight between the trees. Through Shane’s familiar exasperation with this behavior of hers, he almost felt… fond.

…

(Okay, so maybe they were… sort of… friends now.

That didn’t mean the farmer wasn’t still an annoying brat.)

**Author's Note:**

> Kihaji's relationship with Shane is meant to be ambiguous. Whether you see it as romantic or not is entirely up to you. I'm definitely going to add more to this in the future, though it was originally posted on my tumblr as a one-shot. I've since reworked it. I hope you've enjoyed reading! Thank you so much, and be well!


End file.
